Chris`I Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 - They say the car is harsh to drive, especially if you cane it. How true is that ? - They also say there is so much tyre noise, your ears get sore on the motorway. Again, what is the truth here ? If you were going on holiday for example, is the 370z so hardcore that you or your girlfriend chooses to take another vehicle if possible ? Think the others have largely covered this off, but heres my 2p's worth. It can sounds quite harsh up the top end of the rev range with the stock exhaust, but get this swapped out and an UpRev map and you dont *have* to go anywhere near it, just ride the bundles of torque and off you go. Tyre noise is annoying, and its purely down to the tyres themselves IMO. When you hit smooth tarmac the tyre roar dissapears instantly. I think new tyres will solve this. Also the new MY2011 cars come with tweaked sound deadening and suspension to try and help this. With respect to long trips. I did around 800 miles over the recent Wales weekend and loved every minute of it. Also, we are going to France later this year and are taking the Zed. That will be another 1.5k miles put on it at considerable expense, but one I want to make as I want to take it with me. So for me - go for it - you wont regret it - just get a new exhaust and UpRev map to make the most of it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruddles Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred020 Posted June 24, 2011 Author Share Posted June 24, 2011 Thanks Chris. I wouldn't perform any mods on the car, which will be new or nearly new. Sounds like a reasonable plan after the warranty runs out though. Still surprised at the lack of talk on the auto rev matcher. Before joining here, I was expecting whole topics dedicated to "most outrageous use of the blipper", "most gratuitous roundabout rev fest" , "I overtook him in 1st gear" etc. etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The G Man Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Thanks Chris. I wouldn't perform any mods on the car, which will be new or nearly new. Sounds like a reasonable plan after the warranty runs out though. Still surprised at the lack of talk on the auto rev matcher. Before joining here, I was expecting whole topics dedicated to "most outrageous use of the blipper", "most gratuitous roundabout rev fest" , "I overtook him in 1st gear" etc. etc. I think the lack of chat is down to owners just have it on at all times, I do It took me a month or so to stop heel/toeing coming from my Rex. Now when on a spirited drive, the downshifts are seamless, an astoundingly good feature. You really must go and tst drive one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShortPaul Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred020 Posted June 27, 2011 Author Share Posted June 27, 2011 Had a long test drive on Saturday. Power great and a couple of my worries were put to rest: the ride quality was okay and the front visibility fine. The car is comfortable. One unexpected thing - the steering felt a bit lacking in feedback. might just be a misperception though, and I will have another test drive before/if I buy the car. I never revved it above about 6000. Another unexpected thing - the dashboard is surprisingly sensible. Trip computer showed 25.1 mpg. Auto blipper was good, though I couldn't help rev matching with my foot anyway. It would be nice to really "rive" the car round a few corners, but I would not do that on a test drive. A positive experience overall. Very helpful staff and an enjoyable drive. Any tips on what to look for on a 1 year old 370Z with GT pack ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philb1965 Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Not really. Make sure the boot release works first time with one press and the hatch doesn't catch. There are some uprated springs to ensure this happens. Worst in cold weather so not the best time to check. Make sure there are no marks on any alloys as colour matching is a nightmare. I'd try and get some OEM mudflaps thrown in/fitted as the tyres do chuck up some stones towards the rear of the car. Depends if you like the look or not. Other than that nothing that I can think of, it's seem pretty bullet proof so far. Just the normal checks you'd do for any car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbitstew Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 I had a fully spec`d up 370z GT Roadster for a couple of days last week and did around 350miles in it. It was a 11 plater, with 1800miles on the clock, so nice and new. It was the autobox with the 7 speed paddle shift. I normally drive the 350z roadster in my signature which is an 2007 one. So, going straight out of the seat in one to the other I could compare them back to back. The interior of the 370z was very black and felt more like a VW or Audi to some degree. My 350z has bits of alloy here & there and just generally seemed to have a less harsh, more fun interior. The 370z seats were comfortable, loads of adjustment, incl lower back adjustment which my 350z hasn't got. I did find the seats felt really high up compared to mine. The dash itself was laid out similarly but had a better trip computer with extra functionality than the 350 and 3 pod gauges showed different information. The built in satnav also doubles as an info screen, so when you turn the heaters & bits on, that all shows up on the sat nav screen. The sat nav voice comes out of both speakers rather than just the passenger one, it also has speed camera alerts on it - even when your just driving around with no route set. The stereo system sounded much better than the bose in mine. Also bluetooth mobile calling etc.. was great as that wasnt fitted in the 350z roadsters. Besides that, there were loads of little things which id already noted myself on my "wish list" which my 350z doesnt have, which Nissan amazingly have also realised and stuck on the 370z. Little things like the filler cap doesnt need popping manually with the release button, it already is unlocked on the main locking, the roadster roof auto unlocks when you press the roof down button - rather than you having to manually unclip it first. Tap the indicator and it signals 3 times - ideal for overtaking, passengers side window had auto up & down, auto headlamps, auto window wipers, push button keyless start, a cup holder in the centre tunnel, 19" wheels really looked ace, the stereo system already had mega connectivity in the cubby hole - photo in, usb, cigar lighter, bluetooth streaming, played m3`s etc. etc. Overall it was also more economical than my 350. Bad bits Roof seems to take twice as long as the 350z to go up & down, there was some serious tyre noise compared to my 350. The engine did not seem as smooth when you rev it, and it did not feel as quick. I personally did not like the styling as much - it looks harsher, more pointy styling. Boot never seemed to close unless you slammed it shut, MASSIVE wind turbulance with the roof down. Omg.. i could not drive it at 70 for long like that. Whereas in my 350z i have the roof down more than up and no turbulance at all. I also kept thinking about what other cars I could get for the £30+k Nissan wanted for the car I was driving and how it would half in value over the first 3 years! Whats it like to drive? Well, firstly I took it steady to get use to the auto box, and left it in fully auto for the first 70miles or so to get used to the car. Fully auto was nice and smooth when just driving slowly, around town, or on a relaxing drive out. But for any "spirited" driving it wasnt ideal. You could floor it at 70 and it would drop down so many gears that you`d end up virtually at the rev limit in whatever gear it had put it in before it then realised and changed up another gear. But, thats where the paddles come in. After getting used to it I found some back roads and tried the paddle shift. Initially I didnt like it, it seemed to take a while to change gear and I wasnt smooth. But, then it clicked, and I found myself loving it. Especially when you come into corners, hard on the brakes and just pull the left lever to bang it down a couple of gears. The brakes as well felt much sharper than mine. Handling wise, it felt very hard and harsh... maybe its because this one had done about 2000 miles whereas mine has done 25000 but it also seemed to feel less planted.. even "lighter" maybe and didnt inspire as much confidence as my 350. Apart from that, one of the biggest problems I found was the ground clearance. It didnt look low, but the bumper grounded out on every single speed ramp i came to - it even caught on my driveway. No matter how slow I negotiated them. All in all, i enjoyed the experience. It didn't feel anywhere near as much fun as my 350, it felt more of a refined old mans car compared to the 350. I loved the paddle shift, but dont think I could live with an autobox all the time. Loved the extra technical geeky features but didnt like the styling and looks/feel of it. Thats just my review of it, but everyones different! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The G Man Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Had a long test drive on Saturday. Power great and a couple of my worries were put to rest: the ride quality was okay and the front visibility fine. The car is comfortable. One unexpected thing - the steering felt a bit lacking in feedback. might just be a misperception though, and I will have another test drive before/if I buy the car. I never revved it above about 6000. Another unexpected thing - the dashboard is surprisingly sensible. Trip computer showed 25.1 mpg. Auto blipper was good, though I couldn't help rev matching with my foot anyway. It would be nice to really "rive" the car round a few corners, but I would not do that on a test drive. A positive experience overall. Very helpful staff and an enjoyable drive. Any tips on what to look for on a 1 year old 370Z with GT pack ? Try and get one with the updated Connect Premium, Nissan updated it quite sneakily and very early on after initial release, the one with the 9gb storage. Other than that anice touch is the illuminated Z's in the kickplates, top tip about the mudflap thingy's as well. I would at an early stage, look at getting a clear shield on the sills, they do take a bit of stone damage. I nearly had the whole front end done by this lot http://www.paintshield.co.uk/, but my bonnet had two minute imperfections and needed a respray first It was done at Nissans expense in a Bentley approved shop and the match is perfect. Going to get the bumper re-sprayed at some point, the Valley track day put a lot of "manly" grit my way and then have the sills and front end done with the lot in the link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lrh Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 it felt more of a refined old mans car compared to the 350 Your review suggests the opposite! Less refined, more uncompromising and perhaps takes itself too seriously? I think they forgot a Z is supposed to be a fun sports-tourer, not a hard-core racer. I've been working for the marketing dept of a Japanese car maker over the last couple of years... If it was Nissan they'd be getting a daily rant from me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred020 Posted June 29, 2011 Author Share Posted June 29, 2011 Any ideas exactly when they released the 9gb connect upgrade ? Rabbitstew says: The interior of the 370z was very black and felt more like a VW or Audi to some degree. My 350z has bits of alloy here & there and just generally seemed to have a less harsh, more fun interior. Yes the interior is good but sober. Perhaps Nissan wanted to emphasise a quality improvement in this area, and made it black as a way of doing that. Personally I don't like dark interiors. The dash was rather normal also. This is a sports car and should avoid "normal" wherever possible. Tiny niggles though. How about those satnav map upgrades ? ANy idea how often, and what Nissan charges ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred020 Posted July 2, 2011 Author Share Posted July 2, 2011 Can anybody tell me the width of the car including door mirrors? Brochure says 1845mm, suspect that does not include mirrors though. And can the mirrors be folded ? It needs to fit through my garage doorway which is 2025mm wide. The rx8 mirrors clear it with about 5cm on each side. I'm keeping an eye on used stock and looking out for deals on new cars. If you know anyone offering interest free credit etc, do tell. Jim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The G Man Posted July 2, 2011 Share Posted July 2, 2011 you never heard of google mate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred020 Posted July 3, 2011 Author Share Posted July 3, 2011 Brilliant Anybody know the answer ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruddles Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 The mirrors auto-fold, but I'm unsure how wide they are Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philb1965 Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 Taken from wikipedia. Width 72.8 in (1,850 mm) and mirrors do auto fold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aljack Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 I prefer my 350z over the early 8 231 i had a few years ago for several reasons. I loved the 8 when i had it, great fun all rounder and i never had any issues with it. It didn't use any oil like some have reported but i thought to myself if I'm paying for 19mpg, then i might as well get a more powerful car with more torque. As previously mentioned the 370 is classes ahead of the 8 in terms of fitment, power and drive ability, some referring to it as a baby GTR. Write the check for the 370z-you won't be disappointed . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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